The present invention relates to a heald frame assembly for a loom.
A heald frame of the heald frame assembly has one or a number of guide plates on its upper and lower transverse beams respectively so as to make an opening motion of the heald frame assembly to strings in such a state that up and down movements of the heald frame assembly attached to the loom body may be carried out smoothly and that the heald frames contacting one another may not be broken with contact thereof. A guide plate in the prior art is normally made of plastic or wood. At least both of the front and rear sides of the guide plate are made of plastic or wood.
The guide plates in the prior art have the following drawbacks. Namely, regarding the former guide plate made of plastic, it is advantageous in manufacturing costs since it is possible to make mass-production of the guide plates by plastic molding, but the guide plates locating adjacent to one another are heavily worn out and sometimes fused. Thus, there is a weakness in durability. Regarding the latter wood guide plate also has a weakness in durability since it tends to scorch due to friction between the guide plates locating adjacent to one another. Further, such a wood guide plate is normally low in strength and so easily broken and therefore it cannot be bolted to a heald frame. Accordingly, the wood plate has to be fixed to the heald frame by means of an adhesive agent. By the reason, it is very troublesome in assembling the guide plates to the heald frame and in maintenance. Further, there is a disadvantage in manufacturing costs since for example a wood guide plate is not adapted for mass-production.
These disadvantages in the prior art becomes remarkable in proportion to speed-up of a loom, recently.